By Cpl. Grant Simpson

Columbia Valley RCMP responded to approximately 45 calls for service over the past week. Here are a few interesting ones.

Shoplifting incident resolved

On March 31, at 10:03 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP received a report of theft from a downtown business located in the 110 block of 7th Avenue, Invermere.

The complainant advised a male associated to a flat deck truck with plates attached to an out of town drilling company had stolen a set of headphones from the store. As checks revealed that the licence plate provided by the complainant was associated to a business, police were able to identify a contact for that business.

Police got in touch with this contact who advised he was a drilling supervisor working in Fairmont Hot Springs with three others and that they were staying at a local hotel.
After meeting the contact in the parking lot of said hotel police discussed what had occurred earlier and identified the shoplifter as one of the company’s employees.

As the complainant was only interested in having the headphones returned or paid for and not interested in pursuing criminal charges the employee agreed to pay for the Apple Airbud headphones valued at $49.99. The complainant was satisfied with this arrangement and received a formal apology from the employee. This is a great example of an observant complainant working with police to meet an informal and agreeable resolution to all parties involved.

Explosives Disposal Unit called in from Vancouver

On April 1, at 10:19 p.m. a 58-year-old local man found a box approximately one foot square, with blasting caps and detonating wire inside in a shed. He also found a red ammunition box which he did not open believing it to be too unstable.

He contacted Columbia Valley RCMP and advised them of his discovery adding that he believed they were probably 40-years-old, left from a previous homeowner and because of their age, did not want to touch them. He locked the shed up so the found items could remain secure.

Local RCMP contacted the Explosives Disposal Unit (EDU), which then made arrangements to come and deal with the blasting caps and wire.

The following day at 3 p.m. RCMP EDU members flew in from Vancouver and attended the scene. Ninety-seven of the blasting caps were still in the box which was explained to have the charge equivalent to one stick of dynamite.

The blasting caps were detonated intentionally and safely by the highly trained EDU members in a field on site with no further safety concerns or issues.

Suspicious male reported

On April 1, at 4:36 p.m., an 18-year-old female from Salmon Arm reported that while on a walk in the 5200 block of Fairway Dr. in Fairmont, she and a friend were approached by an older male in a silver/blue van. The male stopped the girls saying that he had just seen a coyote cross the road, then changed his story saying he may have seen a cougar then told the ladies to get into his van and he would give them a ride to where ever they needed to go.

Both girls declined and went on their way after stating that they weren’t worried and lived nearby. The male carried on in the opposite direction after the girls departed. No description of the male was provided.

Patrols for the unknown make/model and licence plate of the vehicle were made by Columbia Valley RCMP with the assistance of East Kootenay Traffic Services RCMP as well.

Police spoke with the girls directly, advising them to call back if the vehicle or person was observed or if they obtained a licence plate. The girls wanted to report the incident in the event that other people were approached by the same subject.

Police have received no further reports of individuals approaching people randomly in a blue and silver van.

Proactive policing at its best

On April 2, at 10:24 p.m., a 21-year-old Tsuu T’ina, Alta. male phoned the RCMP to report that he was intoxicated at a unit in the 4700 block of North Street in Windermere. He advised that he wished to be lodged in cells for the night. Seeing a perfect opportunity to exercise some proactive policing, Cst. Myers attended and spoke with the male and his father. The intoxicated male said that he was having an argument with his father and wanted to go to jail as he’d had enough. When the reality of the drunk tank hit the male he changed his mind and promised to go to sleep on the couch. His father was happy to have him not go to jail. Cst. Myers decided ‘no harm no foul’ and let the man sleep it off on the couch. Proactive policing at its very best!

Reminder

I would like to remind everyone who is attending Marko’s retirement party on the 16th of this month, to bring a food item to ‘Cram the Boat’ (Marko’s) in support of our local food bank.

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